Heydrich Police Directive - RE: German Borders

[Potsdamerplatz]

Hello everyone,

As many of you know I have a great interest in Third Reich documents. I found this whilst browsing online and would be interested in your comments.

This is a 1941 Nazi schnellbrief police directive from Heydrich regarding changes in documents needed for border crossings in the west.

This rare and historic URGENT DIRECTIVE dated 8 August 1941 originated at Obergruppenführer-SS Reinhard Heydrich’s office in Berlin and was sent to the Reichsstatthalter (the highest Nazi government authority) in Wien, Baldur von Schirach. A blue stamp on page 1 indicates this SS Directive arrived at the Reichsstatthalter’s office at Ballhausplatz 2 on 11 August 1941. The subject of the Schnellbrief is the “Closing of Police Borders in the West”.

It states that on grounds of paragraph 1 of the Travel Limitations Between Certain Areas of the Greater German Reich and Poland dated 15 August 1941, there will no longer be police borders in the West (special police permission is no longer needed for travel in the West) . Elsaß, Luxembourg and Lotharingen (Lorraine) are exempted from this rule and are still considered durchlaßscheinpflichtige Gebiete.

Heydrich’s office in Police Headquarters in Berlin requested that the information in this Schnellbrief be passed on immediately to local police personnel.

At the bottom of the Schnellbrief is a black rubber stamp with an eagle and swastika in the middle, showing this letter originated at Der Reichsführer-SS und Chef der deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern (Heinrich Himmler) on Prinz Albrechtstraße in Berlin.

This Schnellbrief from Heydrich was signed on his behalf by an aide. The Heydrich signature is not a pen and ink signature, but a rubber stamp. A typed entry at the bottom shows that the Reichsstatthalter’s office sent a copy of this Urgent Directive to the president of Police in Wien on 13 August 1941.

Best wishes,

DAVID

[Max Williams]

The blue ink signature which appears to be that of Heydrich is definitely a fake.
Max.

[Potsdamerplatz]

Remember though Max it is a rubber stamp of Heydrich's signature - not the real thing.

[steve248]

I also believe the Heydrich signature is a "fake" in the sense that it was not added by
Heydrich or Heydrich's office. It was possibly added to "add" authenticity and therefore
increase the price.

This document according to the address list was sent to 27 (if I added them correctly)
addresses for action, and 7 addresses for information. Heydrich was not going to sign all
of them.

The official rubber stamp of Heydrich's office and the counter signature by his clerk
gives it all the authenticity the recipient would require.

This type of Schnellbrief did not need a signature from the sender. They are commonly
found without personal signature in German archives.

Steve

[Max Williams]

Remember though Max it is a rubber stamp of Heydrich's signature - not the real thing.

David,
It's not even a rubber stamp of a Heydrich signature. At no time in his life did his signature resemble anything like that.
Max.